Improved excavating-machine



cheat swat JOHN A. BAILEY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

Letters Patent No. 92,508, dated July 13, 1869.

IMPROVED ExCAVATING-MACHINE.

The Schedule referred to in. these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom ct may concern:

Be it known that I, Jomv A. BAILEY, of Detroit, inthe county of Wayne,'and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Excavating- Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to improx ements in machinery for excavating, (hedging, 8m, designed to provide a more simple and effective means for operating the same than any now in use.

The invention consists in arranging the scoop upon pistons, working in cylinders, wherein water or air may be used to force the scoop back and forth in performing the excavating or dredging-operation.

It also consists in the combination with the said cylinders of guides or rails, whereon the supporting-arms of the scoop slide to and fro in the operation of the machine.

It also consists in the combination of the said cylinder and supporting-arms with a walking-beam or frame, for elevating the scoop when loaded, and for lowering it again to the working-position.

It also consisis in the combination with the said walking-beam of a Water or air-cylinder and piston, for elevating and lowering the said walking-beam, whereon the weight of the apparatus is mainly supported, and which constitutes the axis of horizontal oscillation.

It also consists in an arrangement of devices for dumping the scoop and restoring it to the working position; and A It also consists in certain details and modifications thereof, for adaptationof the apparatus for use either of one or more pistons, B, working in the cylinders O;

also upon the sliding arms 1), working upon the guides or rails E.

For economyof construction, and also for combining the strength of the pistons and slides, I apply the rails to the cylinders parallel therewith, and with the pistons, and connect the pistons and slides together by the cross-bar G.

For imparting the to-and-fro motion to the scoop, for forcing it into the ground, and withdrawing it before or after dumping, [employ water, air, or other suitable fluids, to be forced into the cylinders by pumps, preferably operated by steam-engines,-as represented in red at H vI, suitable pipes being used for conveying the water to either end, and provided with stop-cocks, or valves to be opened and closed by any suitable means, for reversing the motion of the pistons. The discharge-pipes from the cylinders may connect with a reservoir, from which the water is drawn by the pumps.

For elevating the scoop to dump the contents thereof upon a car, I connect to the said cylinders and guides or rails E a walking-beam or frame, K, confined at its inner end K, the other end being free to swing on the said end K.

As an axis or fulcrum, and for elev. ting the said walking-beam, I prom o a vertical cylinder, L, and

either a piston working therein, or another tube,L,"

closed at the top, and working over the said tube L, with a water-tight joint, to which I connect the walking-beam, by pivots or trunnions, as shown at M.

The tube or piston is then raised by water or air, forced in by the pumps, and to cause the walkingbeam to work properly lmder this operation, the end K is provided with segmental rims, N,-which roll along a vertical track, 0, preferably supported on the boiler which furnishes the steam for the engines, and to facilitate this operation, the end K of the walking-beam is colmected to the top of the vertical track, by cords or wires, P, and the upper ends of the segmental rims are connected to the foot of the said vertical track, by other wires or cords P.

The curvature of the segmental rims is struck fiOlll the, trunnions M, thus pennittingjhe elevation of the scoop-supports, for dumping, as clearly represented in red in fig. 1, in a manner to carry the scoop to a considerable height, by swinging the outer end around the point of the fixed ilmer end, and without requiring the water-piston to which the said scoop-supports are connected to move to the same-extent.

The verticalcylinder L is supported upon the fixed platform Q, and in order to employ it as the vertical axis aroimd which to oscillate the apparatus to carry the scoop from the place of filling to that of dumping into a car or other receptacle, I connect thereto, near the base, an oscillating platform, or table, It, to which the vertical track 0 is connected, and, consequently, the end K of the walking-beam. This platform may be supported on wheels, S, and provided with any suit ble means for operating it, and I prefer to place the boiler, engines, and pumps on the said platform, as shown in the drawing.

In this instance, I have employed the boiler T as a means of supporting the vertical track for the rims N, but under other arrangements they may be supported otherwise.

water therein, also nearly all the weight of the whole,

and thereby greatly facilitate the rotary movement on the said axis.

The weight of the said boiler, engines, &c., will be balanced in a great measure by the scoop when extended. 4

For dumping the scoop and restoring it again, it is connected by a bar, a, to the short arm of a lever, 11, pivoted to one of the slides D. To this lever b is pivoted a crotched lever, (I, so as to swing in a direction at right angles to that in which the lever b swings.

The said lever d is provided with a bent arm, e, arranged to be caught by the spring-hook f, on the slide 1), which holds the parts in the position loading the scoop, as represented in fig. 1.

The said lever D is also provided with a cam-groove,

' g, as represented in fig. 4, connnencing at the root of the bent arm a, and turning into a line parallel with the lever.

When the scoop is running out to be dumped, a stud, h, on the walking-beam, in the path of the bent arm a, will be caught in the groove g. Simultaneously with this, the attendant pressing upon the lever 11, will disconnect the arm e from the catch f, when the stud h will arrest the further movement of the lever b (I, and- I) d, and restore the scoop to the working-position, after which it will pass out of the groove, and in doing so will press the bent arm a under the ledge of the catch f, thereby seeming the scoop in the working-position again.

The stud Ilmay be adjusted along the walking-beam in any position required for dumping, at any degree of extension of the scoop.

In fig. 3 l have shown a modified arrangement of my invention, adapting it for connection to a scow or other float, for dredging under water. In this case,

the platform l-is placed upon the bottom of the river, and the float R takes the place of the table It, the cylinder L" projecting through a, proper connection therewith, and the cylinder and slides are suspended below the float.

The walking-beam is detached from the cylinders,

journalled upon the top of the movable cylinder L and connected to the float by a cord, P. It is also connected, at its axis, to the slides and cylinders, by rods V, and from its free end by a chain, W.

This arrangement requires a different means of tilting the scoop, which may consist of a chain or cord, X, working over the top of the cylinder, and arranged in any preferred manner to accomplish the dumping and restoring of the scoop.

The PlPG-COllllBfitlOllS for supplying and exhausting the water may be made .in any preferred manner.

By this arrangement, the scoop will be raised faster than the movement of the cylinder L, similarly to the first-described arrangement. r

The horizontal oscillation of the scoop may be effected by van'ous arrangements of devices.

Having thus described my invention,

I claim as new and desire to secure b Letters Patent-- ,I

1., The combination of the scoop with the pistons, working in cylinders by means of water or other fluids, when directly connected thereto, for effecting the toand-fro movement of the scoop, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the cylinders l, of the guides E and arm on slides D, when arranged substantially as specified.

3. The combination of the cylinders, arms, and slides,

with the walking-beam, substantially as specified.

\Vitnesses:

FRANK BLOCKLEY, ALEX. 1+. ROBERTS. 

